The present invention is directed to computer systems, and more particularly, to computer-implemented tools for managing orders and order fulfillment.
Typically, retailers, wholesalers, and other product distributors maintain an inventory of items that may be ordered by customers (both internal and external) or clients. Similarly, manufacturers generally maintain an inventory of parts and/or materials for use to manufacture various products. Additionally, warehouses, distribution centers, packing facilities, and other order fulfillment centers may also maintain inventories of items, parts, or materials. Orders from customers (or clients) are fulfilled from the current inventory of items. Frequently, a company receives more orders than can be fulfilled from a current inventory. Thus, the company must determine which orders to fulfill and ship and which orders to hold until further inventory becomes available.
Sometimes order fulfillment is performed manually. Additionally however, a person tasked with fulfilling and shipping orders uses one or more software tools to aid in fulfilling the orders. Traditionally, tools for aiding order fulfillment automatically choose orders to fulfill based on a single, system-wide policy, such as oldest order first.